


Words to Live By

by AZGirl



Series: Hart of the Matter [2]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Angst, Drama, Episode: s07e16 Mother's Day, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:36:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27648980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AZGirl/pseuds/AZGirl
Summary: Tony questions Gibbs’ decision to hire Hart and wonders what he’s planning.  AU tag to 7.16 Mother’s Day.
Series: Hart of the Matter [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2013751
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Words to Live By

**Author's Note:**

> The second of five episode tags from season 7 relating to M. Allison Hart episodes. It's not necessary to read the first tag to understand this one, though knowledge about the season in general will be helpful.

**ooooooo**

**Two: Words to Live By**

“You’ll never guess who I ran into at Joann’s house?” Tony said as he closed the front door. “Or, maybe you will,” he mumbled as set the bags of food on the table.

Gibbs looked at the bags, then up at DiNozzo, “Did you get—”

“Egg Drop Soup. Of course, Boss. Don’t I always?” he said as he sat down next to Gibbs on the couch.

He opened the bags and started taking out cartons of food. Placing the soup in front of Gibbs he reminded, “You never answered my question.”

“Thought it was rhetorical,” Gibbs replied before taking a sip of soup.

Tony snorted and said, “Thought so. Do you know what you’re doing?”

Gibbs paused with the soup half-way to his mouth and just glared at his senior agent.

Tony cleared his throat and quickly became very interested in the contents of the nearest food carton.

“Of course you do,” he sarcastically said. “Why didn’t you tell me you were going to call Hart?”

“I did,” Gibbs replied as Tony was lifting a forkful of food to his mouth.

Tony couldn’t help at that moment but marvel at his Boss’ talent of saying so much with so few words, but every once in a while he still felt like he needed a translator.

He lowered his fork. “You did. When? Was it when you ordered me to check up on Joann?”

“Yep,” Gibbs replied slightly smirking.

“Okay,” he smiled in return, accepting the almost non-answer. “So, why _did_ you call Hart?”

Gibbs finished the last swallow of soup, and put the empty container down before finally answering, “She’s using me – using us. I thought I’d use her a little in return.”

“So you asked her to be your mother-in-law’s lawyer?” he asked almost not believing what he was hearing.

“Yep.”

They continued eating in silence, with both of them contemplating recent events. Tony could tell that Gibbs was content to drop the subject of why he hired M. Allison Hart as Joann’s attorney, but his mind was on overdrive.

After going over everything he knew about the case, Tony realized his Boss must be up to something that he’d decided to not share with his senior field agent. His gut was telling him he was missing vital information that he needed to figure out just what Gibbs was planning.

A suspicion was forming, but he chose not to dwell on it any further. No matter how long they’d been working together or how good of friends they had become; the subjects of Shannon and Kelly, and especially their deaths, seemed to remain taboo. Gibbs never brought them up and he’d never dared to ask about them.

He tried not to be hurt or offended by the seeming lack of trust with something so personal, especially now in light of his father’s recent visit. However, he couldn’t help the modicum of insecurity that stirred up within him over it. Suddenly, he didn’t feel as hungry as before, but forced himself to keep eating so as to not alert Gibbs to his doubts.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you,” Gibbs suddenly, but softly, said.

“Huh?” Tony intelligently replied. _What did I miss?_

“It’s not that I don’t trust you,” he repeated, enunciating every word.

“Um – okay,” was the only slightly more intelligent response.

To cover his confusion over whether Gibbs meant this situation with Joann, or Shannon and Kelly, or both, he leaned forward to grab the carton of spring rolls. Suddenly he felt a slight sting on the back of his head.

Reaching to touch the spot on his head, he realized that as headslaps go, this was nothing but a tap to get him focused again. He locked eyes with Gibbs.

“Plausible deniability.”

Tony nodded and smiled broadly. Gibbs’ semi-cryptic statement confirmed to Tony that his Boss was definitely up to something. That the lack of disclosure was _not_ a lack of trust, but his Boss watching his six – just like always.

ooooooo

_The end._

**ooooooo**


End file.
